OneMoSalah

Even Chilwell has been coming inside at times. Fucking hell. Honestly why cant these left wing backs just stay wide? 😂

Think the only issue with that is that tonight, he has probably been the best of the three up there and he’s not been heavily involved. His movement and link up is there in fits and starts but he can do a bit better as can the ones supporting him. In fact I would be questioning Ziyech and Havertz’s contributions more. In fact I hope we get a change there and the most likely is Werner looking at the bench… and I cannot believe I am saying it, but he cannot do any worse than Havertz or Ziyech - surely? People probably wont admit it but love him or hate him, we miss Mason Mount in these types of fixtures. People may question his contribution but he links the midfield and attack much much better than those 2 have so far.

Havertz has hugely struggled too tonight. Loose and sloppy control a lot, wanting half a day on the ball. I hope TT drills we need to be sharper into these guys at HT because if we are a bit more sharper we might get that breakthrough or even a bit of luck. Whoever gets the first goal is likely to win this game by the looks of it. Obviously more to it than just that but being a lot more sharper and careful in the final third could give us that half chance or chance.

Ziyech will be subbed off at HT I think. Trying far too hard. Do the basics then build from there. Even the spell where he made 2/3 fouls in quick succession. Werner or perhaps CHO on at HT?

Alonso needs to stop coming inside too often, Jorginho sitting shouting for him to go out left where all the space is. Either that or Ziyech or Havertz has to start drifting out there. Recovering the ball well though, just have to be a bit more assured at times they've had a few decent counters from sloppiness. Juve are more or less playing for a draw though, effectively, they’ve literally just left Chiesa upfront and are sitting in.

Thats the thing. Likelihood he wont but its also not like Tuchel to play people for the sake of it either. We have seen how ruthless he has been twice this season already with Saul and Mount so either Alonso is playing amazingly well (cannot believe I have typed this because whilst he generally has done well it isn’t like hes undroppable) or Chilwell isnt impressing him (more likely). I think its fair to assume in a back 4, he suits it better but as a wingback maybe not although again, he hasn’t exactly been that bad under Tuchel when he did play after the poor spell with FL.

Well wait and see if we have to count on Ruben regularly, for a prolonged period, we are fucked. Once Saul is up to speed and the intensity he will go ahead of him undoubtedly and surprise a lot of people. Was actually impressed with Ruben briefly under Sarri but there is a reason Sarri didn’t trust him for half a season and then had to basically micromanage him when he did play because positionally and tactically, he wasn’t up to it, not hard to see that. His ability to know when to press or hold his position was a huge weakness and still is. Look at the games he’s featured in, when he has came in and played, mainly in the deeper positions, the spaces are embarrassing. At Fulham he was shite and at Palace he did virtually nothing, just have to look at his appearances, goals, assists, chances created, key passes for the PL. For a number 10, they are embarrassing. He is so clearly a mid table player, end of story. He's probably only here because he’s on huge wages and nobody deemed a move for him viable, which its hardly impossible to see why is it, I think he had 1 goal and 3 assists for Fulham or something along those lines. Saul has been underperforming for many years? Do regularly underperforming players make the spine of championship winning teams? Honestly 😂 I mean people moan about having average players around, we shifted a fair amount but unfortunately Ruben and Ross are 100% in that category. On another note, I am surprised that Chilwell hasn’t maybe started here but also at the same time bar v City, Alonso has usually managed to get into some very good positions this season in the opponents half which is key when you play wingbacks. It looks like Juve have gone for a false 9 which is interesting and also seems a bit daft considering our back 3 and 2 sitting players usually end up congesting that central spaces very well so for them to play a false 9 to try come to the ball in that area and get turned to find runners in behind or between our CBs, seems very strange. Very un-Allegri too. Unless hes hoping to do what Spurs did and also City did and maybe have 3 players who can press high to stop us playing short from the GK/CBs to Jorginho.

Jesus before City it was all Tuchel is amazing after his change at HT v Spurs and now one game vs the best team in the country and its almost as if things have been horrifically bad for months. Jesus. Pretty sure he said after Villa we aren’t where we want to be.

Wow…. The thing is though, if a professional footballer cannot handle being pressed/taking the ball under pressure in moments of games he shouldn’t be a professional footballer. And its not even just about taking the ball under pressure, its what can you do with it. For Ruben, the end product has been as big a concern as his fitness throughout his career at spells here, Palace and Fulham. I dont care if he can take the ball on the half turn and beat 5 players because if he cannot provid key passes, goals or assists in the final third, for someone who is seen as an attacking midfielder then that makes him a problem. Aye Saul had a poor game v Villa, Tuchel got that wrong, he openly said he thougut he was ready and he wasn’t. Saul when he gets up to speed will surprise a lot of people though, had an indifferent campaign maybe last season by his usual accounts but still played virtually every minute in a title winning team. Ruben had a full pre season here also, Saul signed on deadline day, so he may need some time to get accustomed to the group and the PL.

Ruben has hardly done anything, his “return in form” has been largely exaggerated. He still hasn’t done anything of note to prove he is worthy of being a regular here. Where as Saul has proven himself over the last however many years at Atletico and whilst he has struggled so far, give him some time yet. He will come good, hes far too good not to.

Again, rumours, which probably haven’t been helped by the fact Juventus, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are all heavily linked and able to offer him between 300-400k a week if you read the papers/websites. I mean I have no doubts he wants a wage increase but 300k? Are people really buying that?

I dont see why it matters if we give him 200k or not. It makes much more sense to reward a player with that money when his performances have probably been amongst the best in his position in Europe over the last 7 or 8 months. I mean end of the day if one of Bayern, PSG, Real Madrid or someone come in and get him on a free and he goes on and keeps playing well, everyone will just slaughter the board anyway.

The irony is everyone complained that if the club didn’t bow down to CHO’s demands we would lose a top player. When he had played 10 or 15 starts. Now we risk losing an actual top player, who is key to our system and people are sceptical over the club giving him 200k p/w? Not long after giving Christensen a new deal on around 130-140k p/w?

Juve are there for the taking this season. Really poor so far. Obviously they still have good players and a good manager but we should be looking to beat them, even if we are the away team

Yep. He's been one of our better and most consistent players under Tuchel. Baffles me what people are watching.

Exactly and managers are the same as players, capable of getting it wrong/making a mistake but ultimately the first 45 minutes as negative as it was, still was 0-0. Barring a deflection probably remained 0-0. So did he really get it woefully wrong? Similar to Contes approach v City in his second season, again lost 1-0 but was same argument. Maybe a bit wrong but woefully wrong? You’d think we got skelped 5 or 6-0. End of the day 3 points lost on game week 6 wont decide anything.

Jesus talk about knee jerk. Honestly, you’d think it was Wycombe Wanderers who beat us today.

All well and good saying that but I mean, who aren’t? City are the best team at that in Europe and have had 5 seasons working on it with Pep. Anyway, jesus, overreaction from some on here. It is one game against the reigning champions. All I am seeing is this is a reality check/embarrassing performance/whatever else which is ironic. I mean obviously the goal is to compete and be much closer this year for the title, 100% but how is today a reality check? Did anyone think we would blow City away and win 8-0 or something? The positives is from the first 6 games it is so clear we are comfortably better already than we were last season at the beginning of the season, mentally, physically, tactically and as a group. Are people also forgetting we have played 6 games so far - won 4, drew 1 (10 men v Liverpool) and lost 1 (against reigning PL champions). I mean you would think its the end of the world losing today. Or that the league was done. Considering we have played Spurs, Arsenal, City and Liverpool in our first 6 to have 13 points out of these 6 games that is a pretty good start. And better than what we would of gotten at the beginning of past season in those same fixtures. So we will clearly be up there towards the end of the season, I dont think anyone can doubt this. This reality check bullshit, give me a break. One game.

Hardly half as bad all things considering its still 0-0. We have had arguably the best half chance despite being penned in against the best passing team in the world, whilst it being our “worst performance v them under Tuchel” is hardly a tragedy is it? How many times have City isolated our back 3? How many shots on target? How many goals? How many big games under other managers have we shithoused despite playing averagely/poorly? If we continue playing like this and draw (or win), its still a good result.

3 men in MF helps congest it in there but also gives us less threat going forward. Either way though, still 0-0, haven’t looked great but City have hardly had any clear chances. Could be worse. Tuchel will not be completely happy though and will expect better second half. Every time we play City though and the games go like this - us being deeper, getting penned in - everyone always fawns over how they play with the ball and how they press, end of the day means fuck all if they don’t score though. CL final was the same, as was the game where Alonso scored. People Moaned and moaned, look at what happened.

Playing as a 6 or 8 when Mount came in for Ngolo and left far too many spaces without the ball as mentioned in match thread and above by Tomo. Was pretty meh first half higher up too. Not good enough. This deserves more game time thing is surely a joke. He isn’t creative enough or isn’t capable of holding his position as a deeper midfielder, he literally is the definition of a luxury player who has no actual defined position or contribution to the team.

Just play James there from the beginning and use CHO further forward or not at all. Not rocket science. What has CHO done bar 3 or 4 games at the beginning of Tuchel’s reign? I get rotation but if he started and played like that against Spurs he would of been off after 20 minutes never mind 45.

Not going to lie the fact we are still seeing RLC and Barkley in a Chelsea kit horrifies me. Particularly seeing RLC playing in the deeper 2 and Villa on transitions were killing us. Barely disciplined enough to play in a 3 man midfield bar the odd flash of dribbling, never mind a 2 man midfielder. Also Hudson-Odoi is likely finished this season here if he doesn’t pull the finger out. The fact Tuchel hasn’t subbed him is absolutely mind boggling considering he subbed Mason, Saul etc in last 2 games without hesitation.

How is Callum still on?

Sitter. Wish someone would just put their foot through it in those moments like what Costa used to do, he would put the ball through the keeper if he had to 😂